


Hold Me A Little Tighter

by KingKay



Series: My Drarry Drabbles [17]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Draco Malfoy Needs a Hug, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hogwarts Fifth Year, Not Canon Compliant, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-26
Updated: 2019-08-26
Packaged: 2020-09-27 07:42:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20404114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KingKay/pseuds/KingKay
Summary: Draco is falling apart, the cracks in his mask so clear that even Potter can see them but he also holds the solution.





	Hold Me A Little Tighter

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt:
> 
> Draco: That’s my way of doing things. When life gives me pain, I take the pain and push it down. And if that pain starts to come up again, I push more pain down on top of it. Why confront something when you can avoid it, right?
> 
> Harry: … Draco do you need a hug?

"Are you alright?"

The words caused Draco to purse his lips cutting off the swear word he’d been about to shout, knowing he now had an audience to the latest misfortune in his life forced him to keep his feelings in check. It wouldn’t do to show weakness and let Potter of all people see how close he was to his breaking point. Slowly he glanced over his shoulder to glare at the scruffy git and curled his lip into a sneer of dislike before snapping back a reply.

"I'm fine."

He had hoped that his apparent temper would drive Potter away as it usually did, preferably without provoking him enough to cause a fight but of course, he remained to watch Draco's suffering.

Deciding just to ignore Potter Draco turned back to the mess before him and drew his wand. The first thing he did was repair the strap on his bag, the frayed leather knitting back together until you couldn’t tell where the break had been.

_ Now for the rest_, he thought and prepared to kneel down to gather up his belongings only to pause for a moment. He was not at all pleased with having to stoop in Potter’s presence but levitating each piece would take too long and the sooner he could escape the better for his sanity. So he let out a low sigh of irritation and knelt down picking up his essays and textbooks and shoving them into his bag.

Picking up one, he felt wetness on his fingers, and he quickly dropped the scroll looking in horror at the ink covering his hand and his charms essay. Suddenly he snatched it back up and unrolled it before biting back a cry of despair at the now ruined work. He had spent days working on it, and now most of it was a puddle of black with only a few sentences still visible where the ink hadn’t soaked through, yet, but even as he watched it began to spread destroying more and more of his bloody hard work.

His lip trembled, and he sniffed quickly as a sob tried to escape his chest, taking a deep breath Draco pushed down his disappointment, refusing to let himself crumble in the corridor while Potter watched on, lording over him. He took a few more deep breaths and vanished the essay with a flick of his wand.

The burning behind his eye was making his headache worse, and his throat stung from holding back his tears. He would not cry, he would not break, and he would certainly not do those things while Potter still stood behind him, shuffling his feet and repeatedly clearing his throat but never speaking.

Continuing to ignore Potter, he concentrated on fixing his inkpot and collected up the remaining spilt ink into a small whirlwind before he directed it back where it belonged before pressing the cork firmly in place. The few other items that had been ruined he hit with a cleaning charm to be safe and then picked up the quills and spare parchment. With everything now packed away, he climbed to his feet, head up and back straight even if the weight on his shoulders seemed a hundred times heavier than it had been this morning.

_ All that work wasted_, he thought bitterly through the incessant pounding in his head. He should have gotten more sleep last night, but he had been working on his essay and avoiding the nightmares that crept in when he closed his eyes. He had finally passed out in the early hours of the morning only to be awoken a few hours later shivering from the cold as the sweat dried on his skin, he would probably come down with a cold at this rate which was precisely what he needed on top of everything else.

Just this morning at breakfast he had also been fortunate enough to receive a letter from his father, a detailed summary of all the ways he was failing as a Malfoy and as his son with the addition of several threats of what would happen should he continue to bring shame to the family. He had thought that this day couldn’t get any worse after that, but as always life continued to prove him wrong and twist the blade in a little deeper.

He ran a hand through his messy hair and then rubbed at the bags under his eyes that he had seen no point in covering, he had reached the end of his tether. Had reached it a while ago but his stubbornness had managed to hold him together for a while. Now he was falling to pieces, the cracks giving way under the stress of too many expectations and sleepless nights and fears and worries of what was coming and the part he would have to play.

He needed to leave, to get away before Potter picked up on the fact he hadn’t moved and that a fine tremor was causing his body to vibrate. Clenching his hand on the strap of his bag, he took a step forward only to be stopped when Potter spoke again, finally having worked out what he wanted to say.

Draco had been expecting an insult, something viscous considering the time he had taken to come up with it; instead, he got a gently asked question that knocked him off balance so that he stumbled a little.

"Do you need a hug?"

Draco swallowed down the word that wanted to crawl out of his mouth, the desperate plea to say yes. His free hand came up and wrapped around his waist in a poor substitute of real comfort as he blinked back the tears that wouldn’t be denied release much longer. He took a while to answer, hoping that he would be able to keep his voice even or get the word out past the lump in his throat.

"....No."

_ Very convincing_, he chided himself after the word came out too soft and low and raw. Squeezing his eyes shut against his own critical thinking and the self-loathing that filled his chest Draco prepared to flee. He would lock himself in his room or even one of the bathrooms until he was in a fit state to face the world once more.

He managed two steps before a pair of arms wrapped tightly around him and held him in place. Draco froze under the touch, but his confusion and panic lasted only a moment when it became clear that Potter was hugging him rather than trying to harm him. That realisation caused the first sob to break free followed by a second until Draco gave up and let his body relax into Potter’s sudden embrace. Despite his emotional state, he felt Potter’s hair tickling his neck as he rested his head on Draco's shoulder and muttered into his robe.

"I've got you, it’s ok."

Slowly and gently, Potter turned Draco in his arms, one arm circling him to stroke down his back while the other cupped his neck and pulled his head into the crease where shoulder met neck. For a second Draco tensed, his hands lifting to press on Potter’s chest. He wanted to push him away, spit and hiss with fury at his whispered words because he didn’t need them or his stupid hug. He was a Slytherin, a Malfoy, the descendant of a long and noble bloodline and he didn’t need pity from some dumb half-blood with a hero complex.

It didn’t happen, his hands moved to Potter’s back where he clung to the Gryffindor's robes, clenching the fabric in tight fists and buried his head deeper as more tears escaped. He couldn’t lie anymore, and it felt too good to be held to give it up for something as unimportant as the tattered remains of his pride. Later he would curse his weakness, his pathetic need to let go for a few minutes and behave like a child seeking the safety of a warm pair of arms to get away from the world.

He could feel Potter's heartbeat, the breeze of his breath stirring his hair and ghosting over his ear. He radiated warmth and Draco soaked it up and let it seep into his tired bones, chasing away the chill. Pressing himself closer he hummed at the soothing sensation of Potter’s hand running up and down his back, the caress of fingers on the short hair at the back of his head and surrendered.

He needed this, maybe he always had.

He didn't know how much time passed as he clung to Potter and let out the pain in hiccupped tears and softly whimpered sobs, but eventually, his tears stopped letting him breathe easy again. With no more excuses and his mind reminding him who he was leaning on, Draco drew away full of shame at his behaviour.

He kept his face turned away to hide his blotchy cheeks and red-rimmed eyes and struggled for something to say. A hundred insults danced on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn’t stand the taste of them or the thought of actually saying them aloud. He cleared his throat with a cough as he stepped further back before saying what he really wanted to tell Potter.

"Thank you," he said quietly planning to forget this ever happened and hex Potter if he ever mentioned it to anyone.

"Anytime," Potter said smoothly, his voice free of any embarrassment or judgement. Draco jumped slightly when Potter threw an arm over his shoulder, and he looked up startled at what Potter was doing now.

Regardless of what had just transpired between them, they were not friends or even on good terms. This had been a fluke, Potter’s unrestrainable desire to be helpful triggered into overlooking their history by his emotional meltdown, but it didn’t change anything.

He studied the small smile on Potter’s face and wondered if maybe it did. There was an openness to Potter’s expression, and his hand was gripping his shoulder in a way that made it clear he had no plans to let him go.

"Come on. Let's get you cleaned up and then head to transfiguration, alright?"

"Uh, alright," Draco muttered not exactly sure what was happening but willing to go along with it for now as his headache remained and made thinking difficult. What didn’t hurt was how Potter’s arm continued to give him comfort as it rested along his back and if he leaned into Potter’s side as they walked well that wasn't anyone's business but his own.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm back from my holiday and will hopefully be posting regularly again.


End file.
